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** Fact-checking Trump’s Iran Bombing Claims
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Nailing down precise details and facts can be difficult during the fog of war, but this week FactCheck.org Assignment Editor Alan Jaffe aired out some dissenting expert perspectives on two narratives put forth by President Donald Trump related to the bombing of three Iranian nuclear facilities on June 21 by American B-2 aircraft.

By all accounts, those bombs inflicted serious damage to the facilities and set back Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

But there has not been expert consensus regarding Trump’s claims that the U.S. airstrikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program and whether Iran had moved some of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium to different facilities prior to the U.S. attack (Trump said the administration did not think Iran had done so).

Alan cited not only White House claims but also assessments from the International Atomic Energy Agency as well as experts at the Arms Control Association, a nonpartisan organization that provides analysis on arms control and national security issues, the Institute for Science and International Security and the nonpartisan Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

Alan also quoted reports from CNN ([link removed]) and the New York Times ([link removed]) about a classified report from the Defense Intelligence Agency, the intelligence arm of the Pentagon, which concluded that while the U.S. bombing of Iran’s three sites sealed off entrances of two facilities, it didn’t destroy their underground buildings. The bombings set back Iran’s nuclear program by just a few months, the report said. Alan noted the report was preliminary and disputed as “flat-out wrong” by the White House.

As the news unfolded as the week progressed, Alan also added updates from CIA Director John Ratcliffe and the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, which said the U.S. bombing "combined with Israeli strikes" had "set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.".

Unless or until independent inspectors are able to assess the situation on the ground, it may be impossible to know the precise extent of the damage and whether Iran had moved a meaningful amount of its nuclear materials prior to the attack. We provided readers with nonpartisan experts' assessments and the publicly available intelligence sources at this time.

For more, read our full stories, Iranian Nuclear Program Damaged, Not 'Obliterated’ by U.S. Attack ([link removed]) and Questions Linger About Iran’s Enriched Uranium Stockpile After U.S. Airstrikes ([link removed]) .
HOW WE KNOW
After Trump claimed that “we’ve taken in $88 billion in tariffs in two months,” we checked the Treasury Department’s latest “Monthly Treasury Statement ([link removed]) ” with figures for federal revenue from tariffs, or customs duties. The department also publishes a “Daily Treasury Statement ([link removed]) ” with combined revenue from customs duties and excise taxes. Read more: Trump Exaggerates Tariff Revenue ([link removed]) .
FEATURED FACT
When the hepatitis B vaccine was first approved in the 1980s, the U.S. tried a risk-based vaccination approach that included infants born to mothers with the virus. It was only after 1991, when the U.S. switched to a universal recommendation, that hepatitis B infections in children began to dramatically decline. Read more: RFK Jr.’s New Vaccine Panel Casts Doubt on Hepatitis B Shot at Birth ([link removed]) .
REPLY ALL

Reader: Has President Donald Trump issued a rule that VA doctors can refuse treatment to Democrats?

FactCheck.org Staff Writer Saranac Spencer: No. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs changed the wording in its bylaws to comply with recent executive orders. In making the changes, words including “national origin, politics, marital status” were removed from language prohibiting discrimination. But existing federal law already prohibits discrimination on those grounds, the VA says.

Read our full Ask FactCheck answer: Changes to Discrimination Language in VA Hospital Bylaws ([link removed]) .


** Wrapping Up
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Here's what else we've got for you this week:
* Examining Whether Trump Had the Constitutional Authority to Attack Iran ([link removed]) : In the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, numerous Democrats claimed the president’s actions were unconstitutional and a violation of the War Powers Resolution. It is a contentious and hotly debated issue not only in Congress but also in academia.

* HHS ‘FAQ’ Distorts Data on COVID-19 Vaccination During Childhood and Pregnancy ([link removed]) : A document the Department of Health and Human Services distributed to members of Congress to justify recent changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations misrepresented scientific research to make unfounded claims about vaccine safety for pregnant people and children.

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